Ashes To Ashes/Original/Issue 5
Hogan took a sip of his wine. "So, might as well get this one out of the way. Who sent you to kill me?" "Fuck, he knows," John whispered. "That's right, I do know. I know you two, John Adams you're a big name out there y'know? And Jason Wild good to see you again." Jason glared at Hogan. Hogan shook his head. "You never were one for a friendly smile, Jason always with the frowns and the glares, for fucks sake lighten up." The girl named Angel returned with two glasses of wine which John and Jason reluctantly took. She then returned to Hogan and sat on his lap, he wrapped his arm around her and held her close. "Now, look I have nothing against you two in fact I respect bounty hunters, wanted to be one myself, but I carried out the family business instead. All I want to know is who sent you to kill me." "Sorry, we don't rat out our employers," John responded, as much as he hated Emile he wasn't about to sell him out. Hogan sighed angrily. "Why can't it ever be easy?" He looked at the two men and smiled. "I am one of the most powerful men in this shit hole of a land. If you don't want to make this easy, I have plenty of other ways to get what I want out of you." ---- Another day had passed, and still no sign of John and his companions. Samuel, Lilly and Melissa all sat with Emile in his office. Emile was clearly paranoid he sat at his desk, trying to hide his sweating brow. "Why did you bring us here. Emile?" Samuel questioned. Emile sighed. "I think John may be in trouble." "John, in trouble? Please." Lilly said. "I'm with Lilly here, John never gets in trouble." "Look, he's not the big legend people make him out to be, he almost got himself killed a lot." "Yeah and how would you know?" Melissa asked, with annoyance in her tone "Because I was his partner back in the day, I had to save his ass hundreds of times," Emile responded. "You weren't there for him when he really needed you like when you left him to die in Albany," Lilly said. "You weren't even there, Lilly you don't know shit, so fuck off!" "Fuck you, Emile I know exactly what happened you're a goddamn coward!" "I had no choice I couldn't fucking save him! He got out didn't he?!" "Yeah, no thanks to you," Melissa said. "What? I helped him as much as I could. And I don't even know who the fuck you are, so zip it." "My name is Melissa, asshole." Before Emile could respond, Samuel banged his cane on the ground. "Everyone shut up for a second. Emile why did you bring us here?" Emile sighed. "I'm worried about John. Yes I know I'm some big evil bastard to you people, but that man is still my friend or was my friend either way. I want you three to go to the city and give him a hand." "I can do that," Samuel said. "Why can't you come?" Lilly asked Emile. "Believe me I would come, but I can't. I'm the one who put the hit on Hogan, plus I can't leave this town with no sheriff." "To be fair, Emile has a point him going wouldn't work. Look I'm going who's with me?" Samuel asked. "I'm in. Melissa?" Lilly said. "John gave me a chance the other day. The least I can do is give him one, let's go." "Good to hear. Go to Vlad's have him give you a carriage, tell him it's on me." Emile said. "Will do. You know where this Hogan is?" Samuel asked. "All I know is he's set up in the sewers near the empire state building, big neon sign reads 'Hoganville' can't miss it." "Sounds easy, we'll get John and the others back. And we'll make sure Hogan is dead." "I appreciate this guys, really." Everyone ignored Emile's thanks and left the office. Emile put his head in his hands. "Don't fuck this up, John." ---- Hogan punched Jason in the gut with steel knuckles Jason fell to the ground, coughing furiously. "Ah, you fucker..." he said weakly. "I'm not gonna go back and forth with you people. Tell me who sent you and I let you go I'm a man of my word." John looked at Hogan with a cold stare. "I've never sold out an employer. I'm not starting now, so I guess you're going to have to kill me." Hogan delivered a hard punch to John's face breaking his nose. "Listen asshole I want to let you go, just sell out the coward who sent you and I will. I have better things to do then deal with you assholes all day. So tell me right fucking now!" John ignored the pain of his broken nose. "Fuck off." Hogan pulled out a knife and jammed it in John's leg. John yelled in pain as Hogan twisted the blade into his wound. "This blade is going to go higher and higher until I stick it in your fucking neck. You better tell me what I want to know, and I mean real fucking quick." One of Hogan's men approched him an older Caucasian man, in a beige coat. "Sorry to interrupt sir." "What is it, Hines?" "Doc said it's time for your medication." "Tell Miles it can wait." "But, sir you're already showing symptoms again." Hogan wiped the sweat off his forehead, he could feel his bones getting weak. "Fuck." he pulled the knife out of John's leg and back in his belt, he then looked at Hines. "Keep an eye on these guys I'll send Miles over after I'm done to patch them up." Hines nodded and Hogan left the room, Hines followed and shut the large door behind him staying guard outside of it. John and Jason gave each other a confused look. "What was that about?" John asked. "No idea, maybe he caught something. You can catch pretty much anything living in this shit hole," Jason responded. John's nose and leg were on fire with pain, but he mostly ignored it. "Where the fuck is Ivan?" "No clue, man. We might be fucked here," Jason responded. "We'll figure out something just let me..." John looked around the dark room, the concrete walls and the door or iron several armed guards on the other side. "Fuck." ---- Samuel, Lilly and Melissa all got in carriage that Vlad had brought two large horses stood at the front. "This carriage and the horses are your now, you have my full permission to do whatever you want with them. Just please make sure my brother and the others get out alive, okay?" Vlad said. "We'll do out best, Vlad." Lilly said reassuringly. Tara gave Samuel a hug and kissed his cheek. "Be careful." "I will. I promise." The carriage rode away Vlad, Tara and Anton watched all clearly showing concern. "Please be okay, Ivan," Vlad said to himself. "Ivan is tough, don't worry," Tara said while patting Vlad's shoulder, her own eyes began to water. "Worried about him?" Anton asked. "Yes... I am. Anton, I think I'm in love with him I know it sounds stupid, but I've never felt for a man like I do him, we just connect." "Well I'm sure he'll be fine. I mean he's Samuel Adams, the guy is a legend." "Yeah," Tara said with a forced smile, still concerned for Samuel. The carriage road though the cracked wasteland, the great city was getting closer and closer in view. Melissa noticed something just up ahead. "Samuel stop the carriage." He did and she jumped out running over to the figure Lilly followed her, she could now make it out, a large black man in a red cap her old pimp, Derek. Still alive just barely, he was crawling on his knees, he looked up at Melissa with discolored eyes, a dry mouth hanging open and his hands covered in blood most of the fingers had fallen off due to hypothermia. He coughed weakly as Melissa pulled out her knife. "F-fu-ck you w-wh-ore," Derek said in a dry raspy tone. With no words Melissa jammed her knife into the back of his neck, and pulled out letting Derek's body fall. She looked back at Lilly. "Okay, let's get going." ---- Ivan was awakened from his sleep by the butt of a gun tapping his head, he woke up to see the big man, Gomez a rifle in his hands. "Have a good sleep?" Gomez asked with a smile. "I was, but then I had to wake up to your ugly mug," said Ivan returning to the smile. "Okay, smart ass get up, Greg is ready for you." Gomez grabbed Ivan and lead him out of the cell, he looked back at the old man. "Goodbye," the man said. Ivan was brought to a large open room with a big wooden table and a large fire pit in the room stood three people the leader named Gregory and two other men who were preparing a fire. "There he is! Tonight's main course." "Main course, huh?" Ivan questioned. "That's right, a man of your size and health will keep us fed for a solid week at least." Gregory approched Ivan. "Honestly I'm going to hate killing you, you're good on the eyes. I like men with long hair," Gregory said touching Ivan's face affectionately. Ivan shrugged him off. "So you guys are gonna eat me is that it?" "Yep, like I said I hate to do it, but this is the way we do things." "Honestly I understand why you do it. My home where I grew up we had a civil war, lots of blood, lots of good men died. We had low supplies especially in food, it got to the point where we had to eat our fallen comrades. I hate myself for it, but I had no other choice." "Sorry to hear it," Gregory responded. "Yeah, it was brutal, but honestly it wasn't too bad. I'd probably do it again if I had to." Gregory laughed. "Maybe we'll cut off a piece of you, let you have a taste," Gomez and the other two men laughed along with Gregory. "Actually," Ivan looked up at Gregory with a smile. "I bet you taste pretty good." Before anyone could react Ivan sunk his teeth into Gregory's neck. Gregory tried to scream, but was unable to. Ivan tore a hunk of flesh out and began to chew it. Gregory fell choked on his blood for a few moments, then stopped moving. The other three men looked in shock. Ivan finished chewing the flesh and swallowed it, he looked at Gomez with a crazy stare. "Fuck you, freak!" Gomez aimed the rifle and pulled the trigger, but only a click was heard the gun had jammed. Ivan lunged at Gomez tackling him and taking his knife he jammed it into Gomez's neck and slashed across it ripping his throat open. One of the last two men hit Ivan with a club. The pure adrenaline coursing though Ivan let him ignore the pain he grabbed the skinny man and gutted him with the blade. Ivan looked at the final member of Gregory's crew. Who remained motionless in front of the fire pit. Ivan approched him. "J-just make it quick," the man said. Ivan kicked the man into the huge fire and watched him burn a smile on his face. He looked at Gregory's dead body. "Guess I was wrong, You taste like shit." ---- Samuel, Lilly and Melissa watched from the outskirts. "Damn, we can't just go guns blazing with this place," Samuel said. "How else are we supposed to do it?" Lilly asked. Samuel thought for a moment. "I got an idea. I'll go in there as a customer. Take one of those grenades we brought, use that as a distraction and bust them out." "Think that'll work?" Lilly asked. "I've done something similar and it worked so I'd say." "Maybe someone less famous should go?" "Oh c'mon I doubt I'm that well known out here, like I said I've done this before it'd be best if I go." "Alright just be quick with it. We'll be sure to cover you." "Got it." Samuel headed to the swear entrance the guard held his hand up stopping him. "Can I help you?" "Yeah, I'm just looking for a good fix. My name is Chris." The man smiled. "I'm Duncan. And I already know who you are, Samuel Adams." "Fuck me," Samuel said under his breath. Inside the complex, Hogan had returned to John and Jason, the doctor named Miles was just finishing patching them up. "We ready to talk, boys?" Jason shot Hogan a harsh glance. "No." Hogan rolled his eyes. "C'mon we don't want to have Miles here patch you up again. Speaking of which, how they looking, doc?" "They'll be fine, Hogan basically scratches for these guys. Just try not to rough them to up bad, okay?" Hogan smiled. "Sorry, Miles, can't make that promise." "Sir?" Hines asked. "Yes?" "Duncan just called, he's bringing in another friend of these two." "Really, who?" "The man himself. Samuel Adams." John wanted to jump up, but his injured leg wouldn't let him. "You assholes let him go, he's not a part of this!" Hogan let out a loud laugh. "Well, this should be interesting." To Be Continued... Credits *John Adams *Samuel Adams *Lilly *Melissa *Anton *Tara *Emile *Ivan *Vlad *Derek *Jason Wild *Hogan *Duncan *Gregory *Gomez *Hines *Miles Deaths *Derek *Gregory *Gomez Trivia *First appearance of Hines. *First appearance of Miles. *Last appearance of Derek. *Last appearance of Gregory. *Last appearance of Gomez. Previous Issue: Issue 4 Next Issue: Issue 6 Category:Ashes to Ashes Category:Ashes To Ashes Issues Category:Issues Category:Ghost